Thanks in large part to a federal grant, a Milwaukee Metropolitan Sewerage District project has restored the riverbank along the Kinnickinnic River at S. 5th Court and W. Rosedale Ave.

Now that Congress has reached a deal on the budget, congressional committees will be spending the next week or so allocating funds for various government programs. One thing they should not forget is to provide adequate funding to protect and restore the Great Lakes. And adequate funding in this case means $300 million.

The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative was launched by President Barack Obama in 2009, his first year in office. Initially funded at $475 million, the program received $300 million the next two years and $285 million last year. Back in summer, a House subcommittee voted to slash the fund to $60 million, but the House Appropriations Committee restored much of that funding, to $210 million.

That still doesn't do the job.

This is not money for programs that would be "nice" to have, as one of the slashers put it last year. This is money for programs vital to the health of the Great Lakes, which serve not only as an international environmental treasure but as an economic engine for a large part of the United States and Canada.

This funding goes to programs that include cleaning up toxic waste, combating the threat of invasive species, such as Asian carp, and reducing storm water runoff. Examples in Milwaukee include funding to remove toxic sediments from the Milwaukee River at Lincoln Park and on the Kinnickinnic River, between W. Becher St. and S. Kinnickinnic Ave. The cost of both projects, using a mix of state and federal funds, was $46.6 million.

According to the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition, the initiative has invested more than $1.3 billion in more than 1,700 projects to clean up toxic pollution, reduce runoff from cities and farms, restore habitat and fight invasive species such as Asian carp.

The coalition reports that funding has created jobs; and a Brookings Institution report shows that for every $1 invested in Great Lakes restoration, there is a $2 return in the form of increased fishing, tourism and home values.

The letter noted that the Great Lakes is the planet's largest system of of fresh surface water; provides drinking water to 30 million Americans; supports 1.5 million jobs that generate $62 billion in wages anually; has a fishery valued at $7 billion a year; and is home to 3,500 species of plants and animals.

"At the same time," the letter says, "the lakes have struggled with invasive species, toxic chemical contamination, habitat loss, and beach closures. We must do everything we can to protect the Great Lakes and combat these clear and present threats. We urge you to support this vital investment in the economic and environmental health of the Great Lakes."

We agree. Preserving the health of the Great Lakes is essential, and not just to those of us who live close to the shores of these natural wonders. Congress should make sure it allocates that $300 million to the initiative in this budget.